In his new book "Ascent of the A-Word: Assholism, the First Sixty Years", linguist Geoffrey Nunberg traces the origin of the insult "asshole" to the soldiers of World War II where it was used for abusive and self important officers. After the war the term spread to "movement radicals" (which pibbur doesn't know what is), and, by the 1970s, to everyday discourse as a replacement for "heel" and "cad" (which pibbur doesn't know what is either, in this particular context). Nunberg argues that the use of the term generates a sense of solidarity among those who are not assholes themselve (so called anti-assholes).

Book is available from Amazon for £15.29. Pibbur wants it for christmas.

pibbur who observes that the author suggests there are more assholes on the right wing of American politics than the left, but decides not to mention that in this forum. And who claims that since "asshole" is an english word there are more assholes in the US than in Norway (which otoh has more "rævholl"). And who is sorry for all the swearing in this post.